


No Coal, No Gift

by Written_prose_things



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, angsty, baz is the smartest kid., fiona is a cool aunt, veera wasn't his nanny for nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27097906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Written_prose_things/pseuds/Written_prose_things
Summary: Baz wakes up on Christmas Day, without any presents.
Relationships: Fiona Pitch & Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Veera
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	No Coal, No Gift

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't ever written from a kid's P.O.V. pls let me know if this seems too out of character, or weird, or creepy....

Vera had stayed with them this Christmas, but he didn't find it to be as exciting.  
Nothing felt exciting.   
He barely recalled the last Christmas, but what he could remember seemed far more exciting.  
  
He knew from the calls he had received from Dev and Niall in the morning, that Father Christmas had come late at night. They both had loads of gifts to show for it.  
Baz refused to believe that he had been a bad boy. He’d done everything his father had taught him. He had learnt to control his big teeth and he helped Veera around the house and he did all the schoolwork that he was given.  
He tried to tell himself, bad boys got coal in their stockings, so if he didn’t have any coal, he was a good boy. 

But the thing was, he didn’t have any stockings at all. 

He searched all the hundreds of fireplaces in the house. Maybe, Father Christmas dropped his presents in the chimney because he couldn’t find any stockings? 

Veera had helped in his search. Baz agreed to take her help, even though she slowed them down. Her knees were getting worse and it took her time to climb the stairs.  
  
Baz was tired and hungry by the time they finished ging through all the fireplaces. There had been no presents. 

He was covered in soot and ash. 

Veera had taken out her handkerchief and lifted his chin, “Let’s get you cleaned up darling.”

Baz shook his head, “No, no. I’m fine. The smell is nice.”

Veera had laughed then. She laughed very little these days. Maybe old people weren’t allowed to laugh.  
Father had also begun looking old and he too had stopped laughing as much. 

“Fire runs through your veins, darling.”

Baz hummed, “Just like Mama. What fire do you do?”

Veera shook her head, “I don’t do fire, Baz. Or any magick at all.”

Baz looked up at her. No magick at all? How did she manage? How could she reach the racks above the cupboards? Or fold all the washing?

“I’ll help you with your work when I learn magick. But before that, we need to find my prezzies. Let’s go ask Father.”

Veera grimaced at him. It seemed like she was trying to smile but couldn’t quite manage it. 

“I don’t think so, darling. He must be sleeping right now.”

Baz shook his head, “Of course not! It’s Christmas Day! Everyone gets up and opens presen’s!”

Veera nodded, “That’s right.”

Baz lifted his chin, “Of course, I learnt it at school.”

Veera continued, “That’s very good, Baz. You’re a very good boy. But your father slept very very late last night. So he needs all his sleep.”

Baz hummed, “I guess so. I do get tired if I don’t sleep at nap time.”

Veera took his hand and led him down the stairs to the kitchen. 

“What do you think about some hot chocolate to begin your day?”

Baz jumped down the last two steps onto the landing, “Yes!”

oOo

Veera had given him the promised chocolate along with a nice breakfast. His entire appetite hadn’t gone down. But he didn’t say anything.   
Veera didn’t like looking at dead animals. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable on Christmas morning.  
  
When his breakfast was done, Veera took away his plate.  
She picked him up from the chair and set him down on his feet.

“I have a surprise for you.”  
  
Baz nodded, “Yes please.”

Veera smiled and pulled out a thin package from her coat. The wrapping paper was colourful with hundreds and thousands covering it.   
Baz carefully opened the package and pulled out a long piece of cloth.

He looked up and asked Veera, “A blanket?!”

Veera laughed softly, “No, darling, it’s a scarf.”

She took the long red scarf and wound it around his neck. 

Baz pointed at it and asked Veera, “Looks like a fire snake, right?”

Veera nodded, “Just like that.”

She then moved him to the sitting room and switched on the television. She switched to his favourite channel to watch the cartoons.  
Baz looked away when the show started.  
Baz didn’t want to watch the cartoons anymore. They were opening presents too. With their parents. 

  
Baz didn’t have any presen’s and his parents weren’t even with him. His father must be waking up soon.

The sun had risen so long ago and his father always used to tell him.

Early birds get the worms.

That’s when Baz realised. He hadn’t checked the fireplace in his father’s room! 

Maybe that’s where all the presents were. 

When Veera went into the kitchen for a moment, Baz rushed up the stairs. His socks skidded on the steps.

When he reached his father’s room, Baz realised that the lights in the room were still off. 

Baz pushed the door open slowly. His father was still in bed, under the covers. Maybe he needed some more sleep. 

Baz walked to the fireplace slowly, trying his best to stay quiet. But he really couldn’t see anything in the fireplace, in the dark. 

He’d have to step in. 

Slowly, Baz put his foot on the bank of the fireplace. But he had misjudged. He hadn’t seen the poker, which he stepped on. 

Just like in the cartoon, he forced the poker into the air and it clanged loudly against the walls of the fireplace. 

His father shot out of bed, “Who’s there?”

Baz turned around slowly, “Happy Christmas, Father.”

His father sat back down on the bed quickly, “Honestly Baz, what are you doing here?”

Baz replied softly, “I thought Father Christmas might have left my prezzies here.”

His father looked up at him, “It’s Christmas?”

Baz nodded. His father sighed, “Right, well. There aren't any presents here.”

Baz nodded again, “But why aren’t there any presents this year? Was I not a good boy this year? Is it because of the thing?”

His father grabbed him by the shoulder, “Baz, you are a wonderful, beautiful, good boy. Your problem has nothing to do with the presents. But,” his father took a deep breath, “you are a big boy now and I must tell you about Father Christmas-”

Veera pushed into the room, “Oh there are you are Baz. I was looking for you everywhere.” Although her voice was warm, she was glaring at Father. They were fighting, but not showing it because he was there. 

Baz sighed, “Sorry for waking you up Father, I’ll go now.” he clasped Veera’s fingers and pulled her towards the door, “There aren’t any presents this year.”

Veera walked him out of the room and down the stairs. Baz decided to tell her, “I already know Father Christmas doesn’t come to everyone’s home. I know what really happens.”

Veera stopped on top of the stairs, “And what is it, that happens?”

Baz looked up at her, “I saw Arthur Christmas. I know what happens.”

Veera smiled, “Very well.”

Baz sighed, “Maybe I’ll get my presents in a while.”

Veera nodded, but it looked like she didn’t believe him. 

In the kitchen, Veera went about preparing the lunch as Baz played around with his crayons. 

Baz looked up Veera after a while, “I’m not getting any presents this year, right?”

Veera crouched down to his level, “I’m sorry you only got the one gift this year, Baz. I promise to make it better.”

Baz nodded. There was no point in throwing a fit when the only person to listen to him was Veera and she had already done everything she could.

She wiped away the soot that had gathered on his scarf, “Do you want to watch more television? Or go play in the snow?”

Baz looked out of the window. The snow was settling everywhere and there were no lights. At least outside he could pretend that everything was normal. 

He looked at Veera. 

“Outside, please.”

oOo

Baz swung himself on the tire swing he had set up with his aunt in the spring. The snow was packed high enough that he could easily push himself. 

Veera had made him wear a few more layered before he was allowed to go out. When Mama was around, he could go out in his underwear and she would keep him warm. 

He heard a slow crunching sound in the snow and soft grumbling. Baz almost tumbled out of his swing in his excitement. 

“Aunty Fiona!” He ran towards her and hugged her legs.

“Oi, don’t make me fall!” She laughed. 

Baz smiled up at her, “You wouldn’t fall if you wore good shoes.”

She shook her head gravely, “I will eat these shoes rather than part with them.”

Baz laughed. 

She picked him up and lugged him back into the house. 

She said conspiratorially, “I have some important news for you.”

Baz looked at her face through the curtain of her hair which was separating them, and asked in the same tone, “What?”

She opened the door and set him down in the hallway, “Father Christmas messed up your presents.”

Baz rolled his eyes, “That isn’t a secret. I understood that when I couldn’t find any prezzies this morning.”

She shook her head, “Yes puff, it wasn’t here. But when I woke up today, I found soo many presents with your name in my stocking and all around it! Come look!”

She picked him up again and ran into the sitting room. Under the previously empty space under the tree, was loads of presents. His father was standing in the corner with Veera, with a mug of train his hands.

Baz laughed at the sight. His father looked grey next to all the different presents that had the most colourful wrapping paper. 

Fiona smiled at him, “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Baz smiled and asked her, “Can you let me down please?”

He ran to the presen's and checked their tags. He knew the handwriting on them. Fiona had written on them. He was right. 

Father Christmas had forgotten him. 

But Fiona thought that he believed her. 

And if it ended with his family around him on Christmas morning then, did it really matter?

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are appreciated.


End file.
